Viewers Call Post Office Job Ad "Misleading"

When looking for a job, the first place many turn is the classifieds in their local newspapers. However, as our Trouble Shooter Alexis Wiley discovered, some ads that look like legitimate job openings are not what they seem.

An ad recently placed in the classifieds section of the Shreveport Times and the Texarkana Gazette reads " Post Office Now Hiring". It goes on to state the pay and benefits of positions and a phone number. However, we discovered that the company responsible for the ad is not tied to the U.S. Postal Service at all. Exam Services is a company out of Georgia that sells study materials and services for those interested in taking the postal service exam. The ad does not say that.

 Lavelle Pepper, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in Shreveport, says the company is a for profit company and not connected to the post office. Exam Service's offers their services for $99. Yet, to take the postal exam, you should not have to pay anything. "When you sign up to take the test, we send you study materials but there's no charge for it," Pepper said. You can even get additional test materials from your local library and take a practice test online free of charge. When the Trouble Shooters called the toll free number, that was never mentioned.]
 
A representative with Exam Services says the ad is not meant to be misleading and the fee covers test materials, customer service representatives, a website for customers and email notification of open postal jobs. However the bottom line is if you are looking for a job at the post office, you will have to pass the test, but, you don't have to spend a dime. "We never charge for information about the test or study materials," Pepper said. Before you respond to any ad you see in the classifieds, check it out and be wary of any job opening that requires you to pay a fee.